Last Updated on April 4, 2024, 3:11 PM | Published: April 4, 2024
Film is a visual medium, yes, but that’s not to say that it’s only carried by what we can see.
The music of cinema is an integral piece of the puzzle, inarguably as important to the atmosphere and impact of a movie as the cinematography, production design, performances, and even the writing and direction themselves.
Just try to imagine “Star Wars” or “Lord of the Rings” without their iconic themes, any Quentin Tarantino movie without its carefully curated soundtrack, or even the entire film noir genre without its lonely, mysterious, pervasive jazz.
Music doesn’t make a movie better, it can quite simply just make the movie.
Even when music and score are notably absent throughout – like the Coens’ modern masterpiece “No Country for Old Men” or Lumet’s immortal “Dog Day Afternoon” – it’s a careful decision that only adds to the tension and the strangeness.
Music is such a vital part of the equation that audiences expect it, latch onto it, and when it’s really great, love it with all their moviegoing hearts.
Throughout the month of April, OKC theaters are presenting a wealth of chances to hear some of the best music that movies have to offer.
Whether it’s a final, somber concert film from one of cinema’s greatest composers, a wacky musical-action-comedy cult classic, a surreal showcase for a band of modern experimental scorers, or a sweeping documentary retrospective of “The Maestro” himself, city screens and sound systems are hitting all the right notes this month.
‘Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus’ – Oklahoma City Museum of Art – April 11th
The monumentally talented Ryuichi Sakamoto perhaps once seemed an unlikely figure to revolutionize and expand the world of film composition, launching his career worldwide in the late-70s and 80s as the co-leader of Japanese techno/electro-pop pioneers Yellow Magic Orchestra.
After helping to open up the world to the possibilities of electronic music, Sakamoto would be tapped to compose film scores by the early-80s, leading to his dam-bursting Academy Award win for 1987’s landmark “The Last Emperor” alongside David Byrne and Cong Su.
From there, Sakamoto’s legend and output exploded as a composer, performer, and producer of pop, stage, orchestra, electronic music, an Olympics ceremony, and films as diverse as “Snake Eyes,” “Babel,” “The Revenant,” and 2023’s “Monster,” what would prove to be his final film composition.
Sakamoto passed away from cancer in March of 2023, but not before giving both music and cinema one final gift in the form of a somber, introspective solo piano performance that was captured as “Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus.”
Through twenty pieces of solo piano arranged and sequenced by Sakamoto himself, he tells his own story of his life and career without words, letting his art and melodies speak for themselves, gorgeously and intimately shot by filmmaker Neo Sora, Sakamoto’s own son.
Any fan of cinema composition, concert film, or the beautifully, deeply personal power of music should expect to be moved by this master and the offering of his final masterpiece.
For showtimes, tickets, and more, visit okcmoa.com.
‘Sasquatch Sunset’ – Rodeo Cinema Film Row – April 19th through May 2nd
A film like no other, this strangely comedic, unexpectedly emotional look at a family of Sasquatches living in the American wilderness has been raising eyebrows and garnering equal praise and derision since its Sundance premiere, which saw both rave reviews and exasperated walkouts.
Though the film stars the irrepressibly watchable Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough, the actors remain in full-body bigfoot costume the entire time and never speak with words, relying purely on grunts and animal vocalizations to maintain the oddball, faux-documentary atmosphere of a year in the life of a Sasquatch family.
Unsurprisingly, then, the film’s musical score plays a major role, and for that, filmmaking duo The Zellner Brothers turned to longtime collaborators and Austin indie scene luminaries The Octopus Project.
While normally known for their unique blend of high-energy, propulsive post-rock with synthesizers and electro touches, The Octopus Project took care this time to explore the sounds of 1970s nature documentaries and even the forest itself.
The result is a narrative score that relies not only on more organic and acoustic instruments, but even on field recordings and manipulated samples of rocks banging and branches breaking.
This one is bound to be a must-see for fans of both experimental film and experimental music.
For showtimes, tickets, and more, visit rodeocinema.org.
‘Ennio’ – Oklahoma City Museum of Art – April 19th & 20th
There’s no way to discuss the importance and influence of film composition without discussing “The Maestro,” composing giant Ennio Morricone.
The composer of more than 500 films, and one of the most influential and consequential figures in scoring history, Morricone created entire genres of film music, most notably his accompaniments to Sergio Leone’s groundbreaking 60s and 70s westerns, incorporating electric guitar, gymnastic trumpet, and of course, whistling.
But Morricone was more than just a western composer, more than just a major cult figure, and more, even, than a film composer.
As director Giuseppe Tornatore explores in his retrospective documentary “Ennio,” Morricone was an inexhaustible artist, always collaborating, but never compromising, and living and breathing music for all of his 91 years on Earth.
Anyone interested in the craft and deep consideration of film composition – or indeed in the most remarkable artistic minds – should pay reverence to “Ennio.”
For showtimes, tickets, and more, visit okcmoa.com.
‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’ – Flix Brewhouse – April 23rd
It’s the greatest film musical of the modern era and I’ll hear no argument to the contrary.
Director Edgar Wright’s millennial masterpiece is not only one of my personal favorite films (to the surprise, surely, of absolutely no one,) it’s also quite possibly one of the most quietly influential films of the past two decades.
An immediate bomb – and therefore an immediate cult classic – upon opening in 2010, “Scott Pilgrim” has grown to be regarded even by leading figures like Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro as one of the best and most unforgettable films of its generation, and a continuing inspiration for the next ones.
And of course, a huge part of that is the music.
Wright incorporates music in practically every conceivable way throughout, from musical dance sequences (and dance-battle sequences,) to full-scale band performances with original songs by Beck, Broken Social Scene, and Metric, to an untouchable soundtrack with Black Lips, Beachwood Sparks, and even The Rolling Stones.
More than the insane anime action sequences, more than the over-the-top comic book aesthetics, and even more than the surprisingly poignant and effective coming-of-age emotionalism, it’s music that is the beating heart of “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.”
If you’ve never seen and heard it on the big screen, now’s your chance. Don’t miss it.
For showtimes, tickets, and more, visit flixbrewhouse.com.
Brett Fieldcamp has been covering arts, entertainment, news, housing, and culture in Oklahoma for nearly 15 years, writing for several local and state publications. He’s also a musician and songwriter and holds a certification as Specialist of Spirits from The Society of Wine Educators.
